The breath was knocked out of the Persian as Erik fell on top of him,
becoming dazed for a few moments as he hit his head on the hard ground.
When he finally collected himself many seconds later, he scurried out from
underneath Erik's limp body, withdrawing his own gun in unspeakable fury.
The Daroga took good aim, and before Raoul even noticed that he was up, the
gun was shot. Raoul dropped his pistol and fell, dead before he hit the
ground.
Christine, who looked dead herself, her face white as a sheet, body unmoving and rigid and her mouth hung open, was too horrified, sad, and shocked to do anything at all. Her eyes were glazed as she stared at Erik's lifeless body.
"Mademoiselle," the Persian whispered awkwardly, choking on his words.
Christine, on the ground still staring towards Erik, mouthed the words, "He killed him..."
The Persian, in repulsive horror, realized a small trickle of blood running from underneath Erik's body, obviously protruding form the wound, streaming into the lake.
"Damn you, Viscount," the Persian muttered, finding it was hard to see through his eyes blurry with tears. So blurry, it made Erik's body dance in front of him, seeming it to be breathing once again..
The Daroga wiped his eyes, yet Erik's chest did not stop rising and falling.
"Allah!" The Persian remarked passionately, "He lives!"
This announcement was followed by Christine screaming at him to pull off Raoul's coat and drape it over Erik's body as she crawled to hover over the Phantom. This, the Persian did hastily, trying not to notice Christine's happy and sad tears, angry and relieving feelings, as she broke her stare from her ex-husband's body, unable to see him dead, turning back towards Erik.
"He needs immediate medical attention," the Persian said, throwing Raoul's coat over the Phantom. Christine answered with a quick sob, her hands over her mouth as if she thought if she took one more breath, it would kill Erik. "We have no time to find a doctor."
"We have to do something," Christine rasped, silent tears still streaming down her face.
The Persian pulled Raoul's coat down a little to show Erik's slim torso, a bullet hole plainly visible a ways lower than his right shoulder. At the sight of this, Christine gasped and turned white again, looking ready to faint.
"The bullet has gone almost straight through his body... it's just missed his lung..." the Persian informed. "We must dislodge the bullet and clean the wound before his blood clots over it and infects him."
"What happens if we're unable to remove the bullet?" Christine asked frightfully.
"I don't wish to think about it," the Daroga said in a hushed voice. "Now go inside and fetch a cloth, get some water, and disinfectant.. and tweezers if you can find some."
"Tweezers," Christine repeated faintly, "Oh God, Erik! You're not going to like this.." but as reluctant as Christine was, she didn't show it, hurrying inside Erik's house to do as she was instructed. About two minutes later, she ran back from the house to Erik's side.
"Now, rub some of that disinfectant on the tweezers, we're going to try and get the bullet out," the Persian said. Christine did as she was told, handing the Persian the device. "Forgive me Erik," the Daroga whispered, carefully rolling him onto his stomach. Indeed, the bullet had almost gone through his body, as it was clearly visible on the other side, through a mess of blood. "You need to help me, mademoiselle, if you are quite done gaping - wash some of that blood off, and be cautious around the wound!"
As Christine did what the Persian asked of her, he gritted his teeth and plunged the tweezers into his friend's back, retrieving the bullet like a bear pulling a salmon out of the water with a skillful swipe.
"I got it!" The Persian gasped, throwing the bullet, tweezers and all, into the lake. But right then, Christine had seen too much, fainting and leaving the Persian to wrap Erik up yet again into Raoul's coat, and gingerly carry him up to his couch inside the house.
A/N: This is not the end! The grand finale still awaits...
Christine, who looked dead herself, her face white as a sheet, body unmoving and rigid and her mouth hung open, was too horrified, sad, and shocked to do anything at all. Her eyes were glazed as she stared at Erik's lifeless body.
"Mademoiselle," the Persian whispered awkwardly, choking on his words.
Christine, on the ground still staring towards Erik, mouthed the words, "He killed him..."
The Persian, in repulsive horror, realized a small trickle of blood running from underneath Erik's body, obviously protruding form the wound, streaming into the lake.
"Damn you, Viscount," the Persian muttered, finding it was hard to see through his eyes blurry with tears. So blurry, it made Erik's body dance in front of him, seeming it to be breathing once again..
The Daroga wiped his eyes, yet Erik's chest did not stop rising and falling.
"Allah!" The Persian remarked passionately, "He lives!"
This announcement was followed by Christine screaming at him to pull off Raoul's coat and drape it over Erik's body as she crawled to hover over the Phantom. This, the Persian did hastily, trying not to notice Christine's happy and sad tears, angry and relieving feelings, as she broke her stare from her ex-husband's body, unable to see him dead, turning back towards Erik.
"He needs immediate medical attention," the Persian said, throwing Raoul's coat over the Phantom. Christine answered with a quick sob, her hands over her mouth as if she thought if she took one more breath, it would kill Erik. "We have no time to find a doctor."
"We have to do something," Christine rasped, silent tears still streaming down her face.
The Persian pulled Raoul's coat down a little to show Erik's slim torso, a bullet hole plainly visible a ways lower than his right shoulder. At the sight of this, Christine gasped and turned white again, looking ready to faint.
"The bullet has gone almost straight through his body... it's just missed his lung..." the Persian informed. "We must dislodge the bullet and clean the wound before his blood clots over it and infects him."
"What happens if we're unable to remove the bullet?" Christine asked frightfully.
"I don't wish to think about it," the Daroga said in a hushed voice. "Now go inside and fetch a cloth, get some water, and disinfectant.. and tweezers if you can find some."
"Tweezers," Christine repeated faintly, "Oh God, Erik! You're not going to like this.." but as reluctant as Christine was, she didn't show it, hurrying inside Erik's house to do as she was instructed. About two minutes later, she ran back from the house to Erik's side.
"Now, rub some of that disinfectant on the tweezers, we're going to try and get the bullet out," the Persian said. Christine did as she was told, handing the Persian the device. "Forgive me Erik," the Daroga whispered, carefully rolling him onto his stomach. Indeed, the bullet had almost gone through his body, as it was clearly visible on the other side, through a mess of blood. "You need to help me, mademoiselle, if you are quite done gaping - wash some of that blood off, and be cautious around the wound!"
As Christine did what the Persian asked of her, he gritted his teeth and plunged the tweezers into his friend's back, retrieving the bullet like a bear pulling a salmon out of the water with a skillful swipe.
"I got it!" The Persian gasped, throwing the bullet, tweezers and all, into the lake. But right then, Christine had seen too much, fainting and leaving the Persian to wrap Erik up yet again into Raoul's coat, and gingerly carry him up to his couch inside the house.
A/N: This is not the end! The grand finale still awaits...